Ireland

I spent last week in Ireland doing an 8 day tour of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with Shamrocker Tours. Getting to Gatwick airport for my flight Gatwick - Dublin was a real mission! With all the crazy weather and floods that England had on the day that I left (Friday 20 July) meant that connecting trains and flights were all massively delayed but I won't get started on that!

The Shamrocker Tour started off in Dublin and headed towards Killarney. Stopped off to see the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone!

Killarney - Dingle: explored the Dingle peninsula home of Fungi the dolphin, seeing stone walls, ruined famine cottages, beehive huts and took a boat out to Blasket Island to experience the scenery.

Dingle - Galway: we visited the Cliffs of Moher, saw loads of Limestone rocks and saw some traditional Irish dancing in Galway city.

Galway - Inis Mor: spent the day and night on Inis Mor (the largest of the Aran Islands). Biked around most of the island, climbed up to the fortress of Dun Aengus a 3000 year old ring fort perched on the edge of a 300 foot cliff. You could walk to the edge of the cliff and look over, check out my photos when I get them uploaded - me at the edge of a cliff looking over, a little freaky but amazing!

Inis Mor - Kilcar: this was a big driving day through Connemara through County Sligo to County Donegal, staying the night on a country farm.

Kilcar - Derry: we visited the Donegal cliffs - as we were leaving the cliffs our bus was stopped by a radio researcher and asked if a few of us would speak to him to give our opinions on the scenery. Our tour group was made up of heaps of Australians, a few Americans, a few Canadians, a German girl and me the only Kiwi. So of course I was roped into representing NZ!! I basically told him that the cliffs and the scenery was nice but I didn't think that they were anything 'spectacular' .... I guess I wasn't as impressed by the scenery as some of the others in the group as we are lucky enough to have amazing places in NZ. It really makes you appreciate how beautiful NZ is! After Donegal cliffs we crossed the border from Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and into Derry City. We did a walking tour of Derry city to learn about Bloody Sunday and the troubled past of Ireland, checking out political murals around the streets.

Derry - Belfast: we visited Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway and got to cross Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge Indiana Jones style.

Belfast - Dublin: we took a black cab tour of Belfast city learning more about the history and troubles, visited a ruined monastery and finished up back in Dublin.

A GRAND week away, definitely learnt more about the history of Ireland and it's troubled past, ate enough potatoes/chips to last me for a year and drunk my first whole pint of Guinness!!

Fan-Feckin-Tastic!

Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/njshew/Ireland?authkey=4CP1a4NeCNA

Change of Plans

Last week I was feeling really restless and was unsure if the living and working in London scene was really me so I've cancelled my job search, packing up and going travelling!!

From next weekend I go to Ireland for 8 days, come back to London for a few days to pack up my flat and then head to Europe for 3 weeks!

The change of plans was a little unexpected but very exciting - not really sure what I'm going to do with myself for the next week and a half ... luckily Geoff and Vince are around for another few days before heading home. I might try and use next week to see a bit more of London (on a tight budget now that I'm not looking for work anymore and have paid for my tours without having any more income between now and then!)

Will keep you posted ...